Old-fashioned American prejudice is alive and well, if today’s poll numbers can be believed.
Close to half of all voters are committed to rejecting Mitt Romney (44 percent) and Hillary Clinton (43 percent, 50 percent of men).
In Sen. Clinton’s case, it could be argued that at least some of the virulent opposition can be traced not to the fact that she is a woman but to 15 years of high public visibility. In Romney’s case, however, voters don’t know enough about him to account for such strong feelings except the fact that he is a Mormon.
If you asked these people about prejudice, undoubtedly most of them would strongly deny it. That’s old-fashioned American, too.
Or another way to look at it is at least the Romney number is about his chosen beliefs, whereas I suspect many of the Hillary haters simply don't want a woman president. (Maybe I should say "semi-chosen beliefs"; I don't know how much of a choice religion is for someone who grows up in a devout household.) At least the anti-Romney folks don't like him for something he can change.
ReplyDeleteAs an atheist, I'm wary of ANY politician with strong religious beliefs. I think Christopher Hitchens is right - "religion poisons everything." And Romney has said the office of president should be held by a person of faith, so he has brought the matter of faith into the discussion.
I'm anti-Hillary and not because she is a woman. I'm anti-Hillary because, as president, she will provide a seamless transition into the next administration for the Bush/Cheney failed US foreign policy in the Mideast. What else can possibly happen with her pro-Israel position? She's the AIPAC favorite and that just about commits her to endless wars in the Mideast.
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